Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-09-30

1 ne present anu hiSO prospective cru VI
low prices and small profits for farm prod
ucts is a good reason why farmers should
consider how to compensate themselves in
some way for the lessened profits There
is only one way TO do this and that is to in
crease the quantity OF salabc produce. Low
prices encourage consumption, rs truly as
that high prices lessen IL. Hence If the
farmer is forced TO take - or so cents for
his wheat, instead OF 81 or 81 20, he can
make up the loss by increasing his crop %
or 80 per cent and instead Of growing 10
or 90 per acre, increasing the yield to 90 or
30 bushels 10y more perfect tillage. The
same principle applies TO other crops, and
oats and corn and potatoes should be treated
in the same way. Or, the farmer, helped
bv better implements Of tillage and by tax
ing advantage Of seasons, may put more
land in cultivation and so enlarge his sala
BILE products.
This applies very aptly TO the subject of
fall blowing, for blowing is the first prepa
ration for all crops. There are several
good reasons to be urged in favor of the
fall blowing of every acre Of land that can
he turned.
l. The spring is very short season. The
writer has a special reason for personally
considering this fact, for by unavoidable
neglect Of fall blowing the oats and corn
which should have been in the ground so
much earlier were at least 3 or weeks
later than they should have been fitting it
in thorough manner and sowing and
planting is good deal to crowd into one
month, and it is safe TO say that the final
completion of the spring work would have
been delayed at least two weeks longer but
for the timely and most effective aid of the
pulverizing harrow, which followed the
pillow closely, and put the land into fine con
dition and covered the seed so much more
rapidly and perfectly that it FASTENED the
work at least two weeks. Had my land
been fall plowed, it would have been all
fitted in the best manner and sown and
planted a month earlier than it has been
this season.
Every farmer experiences the same.
There is never time enough in the spring
and when the work is done and the last
row of corn is planted he thinks how much
better it might have been had it been in
the ground two weeks before. Fall plow-
ing hastens spring work There is album
dant time to do the blowing in the fall in
the best manner, to take ample time over it,
and the teams are in the best working con
dition The land is in good order for the
work and the weather is propitious. If it
is not so at times, there is so much time that
the farmer is never troubled or worried
about the delay. There is time enough.
| Thus the work of blowing the stubbles goes
on comfortably and is done well.
In the spring, when the hurry comes, the
| plowed land is worked very quickly with a
| pulverizing harrow, which levels and breaks
| it and makes it fine and mellow and ready
for the seed much more rapidly and much
better than could be done with any other
| implement and which does this work so
well that it removes the only objection that
has been urged against blowing land in the
fall. As this implement covers so much
land at one stroke and works in such a man
ner as to break up the ground, stir and
turn it if necessary, the land may be gone
over three times, and yet the work be done
three times as quickly as it could be plow
ed, and the time spent in the ordinary har
rowing is saved besides This gain in time
is a most important matter at a season
when time is sometimes everything and the
success of the crops depends upon an early
sowing and planting to escape unfavorahle
weather afterwards This gain also hast
ems every other work up to the harvesting !;
and with corn is a security against damage
or loss of the crop 10y an early frost.
> The condition of the soil is much i'm
proved by fall blowing. 1t is broken up
and left in a rough state and may be safely
plowed little deeper than it has ever been
before, at this season. A little of the sub
soil mixed with the surface soil every year
quickly deepens the cultivatable part Of it,
and the exposure to the winter frosts devel-
ops the latent fertility of this addition In
the spring the working with the har ow
mixes this subsoil with the other soil, and
so contributes at every blowing some new
material to furnish plant food. A strong,
heavy soil is mellowed and made fine and
can be more easily brought into the best
condition for the seed than unplowed soil
can be Moreover the fall blowing is to
some extent equivalent to draining and fall
plowed land will dry out and become fit for
working some days sooner than it would
have been ready for blowing, had this work
been deferred
3. When the land is rich in organic mat
ter such as a sod, or a heavy stuhble, it i,
much benefited by fall blowing, which coy
ers into the soil the vegetable matter SO that
it decays and becomes more quickly avaia
BILE for plant food than if left unplowed unit
the spring The danger of loss of fertility
by the washing of the heavy rains tn,
rapid melting of the snow and the nevita
BILE loss of much soluble plant food by per
collation. through the land is also avoided
for the plowed land will hold a much large
quantity of water than the hard unploweC
land can for the greater part of the rail-
} flows off into the water courses from tn,
compact surface, and carries with it tn
best part of the surface soil.
5 No doubt the great objection to fall pillow
ing heretofore has been that nothing coul,
? be gained, because to fit the land properl,
{ it would have to be plowed again in tn
e spring. This objection is happily removed
70 by the use of good pulverizing harrow
which is perfect substitute for the sprinl
t blowing, operating in the manner abov
t mentioned to prepare the soil for the see
y in the most perfect manner, and more rap
a idly than could be done by any other nipple
: | mont Hmm NtclrnLi in The StncL.nnn